The Laughing Wolf

Saturday Wine Notes

One of the most frequent questions that any wine person gets asked is, What wine should I serve with XXXX? A frequent disappointment are wines touted as being developed to complement XXXX.

I am not the best person to ask about what food with what wine, simply because I don’t believe in the so-called rules. Given the lack of flavor in most mass-produced meats, what you really are looking for are wines that will go with the spices and flavors that are added. This holds true to a certain extent even with good meats. Before I can even think of answering, I need to know the type and quality of meat, how it is to be prepared, spices, etc. With that knowledge, I may select a white wine to go with beef, or a new port to go with fish.

Given this, I was a bit intrigued by the announcement of the wine tasting at Pauli’s this week, because the wines were all developed specifically to go with wild game. A bit different, to say the least, but interesting. The Wild Game blends came about as a form of joint venture between Mossy Oak, the camouflage people and River Wild Winery. I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday by the products.

We started with Trout Blend, a mixture of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viosnier. It had a nice straw colour that went well with a crisp nose of vine and wood misxed with dry green fruit. The crispness continued with the mouthfeel filled with pear, apple, and hints of wood and spice. The finish was quite pleasant, and it is a good warm weather white.

Next up was the waterfoul blend, made from Syrah, Grenache, and Mouvedre. The colour was purple-red, and the nice nose was filled with leather and plums, with hints of spice. The mouthfeel was good, with a dry start that fills with fruit and leather. There was a slight sweetness on the sides with the finish, and it was not a heavy wine despite the richness.

Turkey blend was next, made from Zinfandel, Grenache, and Petit Syrah. The medium-red colour was rich, and the nose quite good being filled with leather and spice. The mouthfeel was good, filled with spice and fruit over leather, and the finish crisp with a slight bitterness.

The final wine was Venison Blend, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. A nice purple colour leads to a good nose of tobacco and leather with hints of chocolate and fruit. The mouthfeel was rich with ripe red fruit and chocolate, with spices and leather under. A delightfully complex wine.

My one regret was not being able to try the wines with appropriate foods. While I did try some with some of the snackage set out by Pauli’s, the result though good simply made me long even more for the real thing. These wines are quite good on their own, but I also think that they will go well with appropriate foods. I will also admit to being taken with the Trout, Waterfoul, and Venison, and particularly taken with the Venison.

Enjoy!

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